I have been quite steadily working on this project though I haven't posted about it and it might not seem like much have emerged from the above.
The thing is I'm being super careful with this to maintain the point of the exercise and stopping yourself from falling into familiar ruts can be a lengthy process. My goal is to make something that doesn't use the easy (though not to say not sometimes perfect and hilarious) trick of parody when producing comedy visuals. Also to be inspired by but not referencing of others' styles and techniques. As I mentioned in the original post, the catalyst of inspiration for this project was Matt Taylor's work and process, but I'm trying to stay true tot he idea that what inspired me was the emotion and effect of that work, not the surface qualities. I.e. I want to create work that expresses a sincere, larger-than-life, unironic appreciation. But in my own way.
I think I like what's beginning to emerge is both fairly me and fairly effective. It's definitely me to have text and imagery playing with each other as they do in both left-hand and centre image above. They each have the same gag of the the text becoming an object within the illustration (the 'y' wine glass in the left-hand, and the cursive becoming reins int he middle one).
The other thing these two share is being defined by a strong line to which the illustration fits and the text especially. A spiral for Well Since You Ask Me and the diagonals for Warhorses of Letters.
I had it in my mind from early on that Warhorses of Letters might merit two companion posters echoing the two-hander nature of the show. Doing a direct take on the famous Napoleon-on-Marengo Jacques-Louis David painting is probably the stronger poster idea, but clashes enough with my 'no parody, no easy solutions' ambition that I'm only letting it through as one half of the Warhorses of Letters representation. I do really like where the other half - the middle image above - is going too.
I'm trying to maintain a slow-burning passion for this project. The initial excitement about feeling you've come up with a great idea is so easily blown away when it meets reality. You have to keep faith that the coolness you imagine can be reached but you have to progress through the stages of producing stuff you think is crap and gradually improving it. It's difficult when your goal is to be both personal and awesome because my usual 'get on with it' mantra of 'it doesn't have to be good, it just has to exist' doesn't apply.
Needless to say these are very rough (especially the one on the far-right!) and I may park WOL as I have parked WSYAM and generate something for another of the chosen shows next. Probably Bigipedia as I feel I've got quite a good idea for that.
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